Can still-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid do anything right? It wasn't enough that he blew two years of his mandate, since the Democrats took over Congress in 2006, with his usual pathetic dithering. It's not enough that following the 2008 election he rallied his fellow Democrats in the Senate to announce they'd not allow the seating of anybody chosen by beleaguered IL Governor Rod Blagojevich to fill the seat of Barack Obama, only to fold pathetically (and correctly) to allow the seating of Gov. Blagojevich's choice of Roland Burris to fill the seat of Barack Obama.

Now, in his second prominent act as Majority Leader since the election, as AP reports tonight, he's considering going ahead with the seating of MN's Al Franken, despite the fact that Franken's opponent, former Sen. Norm Coleman, is allowed, by state law, to challenge the results of the election --- which found that he lost by 225 votes --- in a court of law before the election is certified by the state's SoS and Governor.

"We're going to try to seat Al Franken," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters on Wednesday, a few hours before he posed with Franken for photos just off the Senate floor. "There's not a question in anyone's mind, an assertion by anyone, that there's been any fraud or wrongdoing in this election."

Look, I'd be as happy as the majority of the country to see Franken seated as the next Senator from MN. But, a) the law is pretty damned clear, thankfully, on this matter in MN (unlike most other states, as we opined at length some weeks ago) and b) as we also opined, it's a good thing that all election contests are settled before a Congress member is granted a virtually irreversable seating, by whichever partisan majority controls the chamber in question.

I've seen nothing in Coleman's election contest to convince me that he'll find the votes needed to overturn the results already certified by the state canvassing board. In fact, the bulk of his seemingly desperate lawsuit consists of complaints that re-litigate --- or even "re-re-litigate", to paraphrase a Franken attorney --- decisions and findings already carefully and transparently determined by bi-partisan state authorities previously.

(Via "WineRev" at dKos who offers a trip through the latest weeds on this for those interested.) Even the whacked out, wingnut propagandists at Powerline , who once led the disingenuous, substanceless, predictable and embarrassing "Franken is stealing the election!" conspiracy theories, are admitting that much of Coleman's case is now hypocritical, "frankly ludicrous" and of "Three Stooges quality". When a Republican has lost the suckers at Powerline, you know they're really lost.

And yet, Coleman deserves his day in court to make his case, if he can come up with one. Similarly, Franken deserves his day in court, where he has filed to dismiss Coleman's suit, as well as filed for dispensation from the state to be seated "provisionally" in the U.S. Senate. If the courts allow the latter, then great, let Reid move ahead, seat Franken, and take whatever political heat for it that may come his way. If the court dismisses Coleman's case --- and, I trust the court understands the necessity of full representation for the state, as soon as practicable, and will not allow Coleman to endlessly litigate a fruitless cause --- then Franken will soon enough be seated without a cloud hanging over his office for the next six years.

But for Reid to, once again, go out on a limb, for exactly the wrong cause, reminds us just how ill-served Democrats continue to be with Senator Reid in charge of the majority. Hopefully Obama's considerable political capital and popular mandate can make up for it before Dems in D.C. wise up and find some fresh leadership that actually knows how --- and on what --- to lead.

We'll wait to see whether that comes before he loses seats in the 2010 election, or after.

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This, in my opinion, has turned into a complete circus, and if the intention were to begin functioning as adults, addressing the bloodcurdling emergencies facing us, they would get Coleman's legal challenges handled, over, history immediately, no waiting.

While I want Franken's election to be deemed true and legal before he's seated, we need all hands on deck, and clowns who don't give a fuck about our duty to each other are the only ones who would be willing to stall this any longer.

The only way Reid will be taken down is if we insist on it, and even then it will be difficult to accomplish. We need to make it known with one loud voice that both Reid and Pelosi must be removed, not only for these matters, but for sweeping violations of their sworn oath of office to protect and defend our Constitution.

One doesn't give criminals a "get out of jail free" card while the crime spree is in progress. These so-called Democrats did better than that: they drove the getaway car. And we rewarded them by electing them in even greater numbers. It is we, the electorate, who are responsible for this foolishness, and only we can fix it.

If we need to hold a figurative gun to their head next election, then we'd better get it done or suffer the consequences.

Well, after idiotboy's example they all think the law only applies and need be followed for us peons, certainly not themselves! Elitist justice rules! And I too would like to see Al seated, but not without following the law.

and intelligence systems as in your link and mine , and the co-opted media as in Brad's article Airwaves We Can Believe In, its no wonder Obama is asking us to be patient. I can only hope to see the day all judges involved are removed for life and prosecuted, all lawyers involved are disbarred for life and prosecuted, all government employees are replaced and prosecuted(idiotboy and company included) and where ever anybody in that administration has moved to in privated industry the company be treated like a toxic waste site and the Fairness Doctrine is restored. Glass Steigel should be restored also!

I'm with Trippin, Pelosi and Reid must go! And trying to seat Franken now is only to give ammunition to Republigoons, especially on the issue of elections. What purpose would this even serve anyway? Like the article says, when Powerline and their ilk are calling Coleman's case hypocritical and ridiculous, it's only a matter of time for Franken to enter the Senate free of controversy- which I'm sure HE would prefer. A freshmen Senator has no clout to begin with, and Franken has it even rougher than most, having been a comedian for most of his life.

Harry Reid should be replaced..preferably by some one who understands that the majority leader is not supposed to help the opposition...ever notice how just the whispered word "filibuster" by the Republicans, is enough for Harry to come completely undone and cave-in instantly...?

But, but, but.. you guys CAN'T be talking bad about Dems!! you can't!! you're leftist libruls who never think, only swallow your partisan bullshit! you have to support what this asshat does! who cares about the law! you have to let the repukes say "but you did it too" again!

The only argument I would make in favor of such a move is that the State of MN is constitutionally guaranteed two representatives in the senate.

At the moment MN only has half the senate representation they are constitutionally allowed/required to have. Thus, either the other already-seated MN senator should be able to cast 2 votes until the matter is settled, or they would at best be able to seat Franken (or Coleman) as an 'interim' placeholder, similar to the way presidents appoint people to key positions when congress isn't in session.

Reid is doing a bunch of goofy stuff thats for sure. Sadly he's still FAR better than Pelosi.

Harry Reid, freeze-dried Mormon, has been at the center of the Bush Regime. Pelosi has been a treasure of the neo-cons. She has been letter perfect in the execution of G W Bush's orders.
Other explanations just go nowhere.

Harry Reid has been the worst Majority Leader in my lifetime if not ever.

The only thing good about Pelosi is that she has bigger balls than Harry. We need a Democratic Speaker like Tip O'Neil or like Newt Ginghrich, only a democratic Newt. Newt was an excellent Speaker, just from the wrong party.

Here is the text of email I sent to my US Representative, Jane Harman:

I am very concerned over Harry Reid's projection of pettiness, disorganization and weakness. Dems can’t afford weekly retractions, mis-steps and course reversals by their house majority leader. No doubt he’s a good person with his heart in the right place. He seems to be at the whim of day-to-day circumstances or not in the loop as opposed to being a badly needed force for ensuring that congressional dems speak with one voice (as opposed to issuing commands to a herd of cats).

Please realize that most feel his heart is in the right place but his conduct renders him ineffective. Specifically, there is a pattern of declaring things that cannot be backed up by consensus, established procedure or law. When he does this he not only looks like a bufoon but he weakens the regard that all Americans have for Democrats in Congress, something those of us who elected Democratic representatives can ill afford. In these situations it is better to temper the words or keep ones mouth shut.

Harry Reid has to learn that merely "saying so" does not make it so. If he can possibly learn this then he will save himself and Democrats in the House a great deal of embarrasment. I cannot see past the news but I wonder what his problem really is. IS he lazy? Does he not consult others? Does he fall short as a consensus maker? Does he lack teh respect of his peers? I am groping to understand as so many Americans are. There is so much hope...and now this. It is sad.

We will have a new President and the Democratic numbers in Congress suggest that a great deal of good can be done if there can be some semblance of unity. Besides America needs this in order to move in a better direction after the last 8 years.

Sure there will be disagreements on principled points but the appearance of intemperate remarks from which he must quickly retract or back down from as Reid so often does just might be the undoing of this recent trust and support that has fallen into the Democrat's laps.

Please don't go and screw this up, OK? Isn't it possible to find a new majority leader?

I just want to point you to two articles or blogs if you will, if that does not leave a bad taste in your mouth. After all, I know you've blogged at HuffPo yourself. These blogs demonstrate the extent of the revulsion over Reids recent antics which have been all over the news. Read the comments. They are all reasonable surmisals of what has transpired.

Someone has to be concerned about all of this. There is nothing imperial about his position, or for that matter, the tenure of anyone in Congress.

The worst thing about this is that there is so much hope and potential support that it could be squandered if Reid cannot be contained and continues to go off with characteristic, ineffectual hissy fits. If he continues I fear that people will quickly forget the damage done by George Bush and swing voters will once again lean towards the Republican Party to get things done, however wrong-minded the opposing party is, because of their semblance of unity and the apparent weakness of the Democrats. This is how George Bush got elected in the first place --- the office of President was handed to him on a silver platter and he miraculously managed not to screw up the election part. Governing was a different story.

ancient...thank you for posting that heart breaking link @10
i will with hold judgement until pres obama gets an ag in place but i feel these civil rights abuses r just as bad or worse than the torture issue...the recent news that EVERY american has been illegally wiretapped should have americans in an uproar...

ancient..yes the video @ 12 is important too but i gotta admit right now im focused on my family and life..so the warrentless wiretapping has my attention as does how the justice department uses that information

after last night on keith o,tice telling us that every1 of we americans had been spied on and that reporters were singled out by bushco..i watched the 1st obama wh press conference,and do u know how many questions were asked about it?

NONE

zero zilch

as long as the press r just going thru the motions nothing can really change...most peops dont have the time or the energy to hunt down the news everyday.....but i will try and stay positive since u r!